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Two top U.S. Navy officers have been relieved of their duties after an investigation into 'hazing'.
Commander Etta Jones, officer in charge of the Norfolk, Virginia-based Ponce, was sacked for not properly investigating sailors involved in the humiliating rituals, the Navy said.
Hazing is a practice whereby people are subjected to humiliating ordeals, often as an initiation.
Commander Jones also failed to properly handle a handgun during a security alert, which endangered some of her crew, the Navy said.
Lieutenant Commander Kurt Boenisch, the ship's executive officer, was also sacked, after he failed to provide support to the command and commanding officer, according to the Navy.The sackings come as the the amphibious transport dock Ponce - which sails with 400 hands - is deployed in the Mediterranean, where it had recently taken part in attacks on targets in Libya.Lieutenant Nathan Potter, spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet, said Commander Jones was fired due to 'poor leadership, and failure to appropriately investigate, report, and hold accountable sailors found involved in hazing incidents.
'Additionally, she failed to properly handle a loaded weapon during a security alert, which endangered some of her crew.'
As he removed the two officers from their posts, Vice Admiral Harry Harris said: 'When leadership fails in setting a proper example or upholding proper standards on his or her ship, they fail to serve our sailors, our Navy and, ultimately, our nation.'
Captain Brad Skillman, deputy commander of Amphibious Squadron 4, has taken command of the Ponce, which is due home in about two months to be decommissioned.
Commander Jones is the eighth U.S. Navy commanding officer relieved so far this year, according to navytimes.com.
Two months ago the commanding officer and command master chief of the destroyer Stout, another Norfolk-based ship, were relieved of their duties in the Mediterranean.
One officer, six chiefs and one petty officer were also kicked off the ship after an investigation revealed multiple incidents of crew misconduct during port visits during the deployment.
Both Ponce and Stout participated in Operation Odyssey Dawn, in which U.S. and British ships and subs struck targets in Libya. Most of the Ponce's missions involved helicopter support for the operation.
In January, an officer was fired from his command of the Norfolk-based USS Enterprise amid an investigation into lewd videos broadcast aboard the ship.
DAILYMAIL
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